The National Arts Council (NAC) was established as a statutory board on 17 August 1991 to spearhead the development ...

Nicky Moey (b. 1964, Singapore–) is a writer who specialises in horror fiction and thrillers. His first book, Let’s Play Games, a collection of short stories, was published in 1986. His other works include Songs of Suspense (1988), Princess of Darkness (1992), Army Ghost Stories and Other Tales(1994) and Lurking in the Dark: 13 Tales of Terror (2003). His collection of famous local crime cases, 999: True Cases from the CID (1987) was a national bestseller.1

EducationMoey’s interest in mysteries and thrillers began when he discovered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes at the age of 14. He began writing his own stories in 1983 when he was 19.2 He completed his secondary school at Raffles Institution before going on to major in physics at the National University of Singapore.3

Literary careerMoey’s first book, Let’s Play Games, is a collection of 13 horror tales and was published in 1986.4 It was re-issued in 1990 as Pontianak: 13 Chilling Tales.5

After the release of Let’s Play Games, the Science undergraduate was commissioned by the Criminal Investigation Department to write some of Singapore’s most well-known crime cases.6 Moey was specifically chosen by Times Book International for the project because of his unique and snappy narrative style. Working with officers from the public relations department who provided him with material for his book, Moey was given the opportunity to experiment in a genre apart from horror fiction.7 In 1987, the book 999: True Cases from the CID, was released.8 It chronicled infamous murder cases, crimes of passion, kidnap and other suspenseful investigations, and was one of Singapore’s bestsellers in the late 1980s.9

Moey’s other works in the horror genre include Songs of Suspense (1988), his first novel Princess of Darkness (1992),10Army Ghost Stories and Other Tales (1994), and Lurking in the Dark: 13 Tales of Terror (2003).11

Despite keeping a low public profile, Moey is regarded as one of the most prominent and popular writers of the horror genre in the Singapore literary scene.12 His stories go beyond merely entertaining readers with macabre and gory details about the supernatural. He often weaves his works of fiction with moral lessons and sports a good eye for detail on traditional folklore and cultural superstitions – traits that capture the interest and imagination of the readership.13

Although Moey regards horror fiction as the genre with which he is most comfortable, he also writes non-fiction.14 In 1991, he published a book on the corporate history of the Shell Companies, The Shell Endeavour: First 100 Years in Singapore.15

In 2001, Moey was a featured writer in the Singapore Writers Festival, organised by the National Arts Council.16 He has also contributed to the online literary journal, The Quarterly Literary Review Singapore (QLRS), and gives talks on creative writing in schools.17

The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.